Farmers suffer as soaring temperatures worsen drought in Midwest U.S. – Over 1000 counties declared natural disaster areas

13 July 2012 (CNN) – A severe drought is spreading across the Midwest this summer, resulting in some of the worst conditions in decades and leaving more than a thousand counties designated as natural disaster areas, authorities said. Farmers in the region are suffering, with pastures for livestock and fields of crops becoming increasingly parched […]

Hunger games in the heartland

11 July 2012 (The Daily Impact) – As recently as six weeks ago, the Pollyannas of industrial agriculture were all over the industrial media trumpeting the imminent “huge” corn harvest in the United States. They knew it was going to be huge (see, for example, Bloomberg News on May 24) because more US acres were […]

The Peak Oil Crisis: The Summer of 2012

By Tom Whipple    11 July 2012 One has to go back to the 1930’s to find a time when so much of civilization was in turmoil at once. The 30’s ended with World War II, tens of millions dead, and much of the industrialized world in ruins. It is not hard to argue that the […]

Image of the Day: Satellite view of Siberia forest fires, 10 July 2012

Caption by Adam Voiland12 July 2012 As in the western United States and northern Canada, Russia is ablaze. On 11 July 2012, more than 25,000 hectares (97 square miles) of forests were burning, according to the Russian Federal Forestry Agency. Most of the fires—uncontrolled wildfires in boreal forests—were in central and eastern Siberia. Fires had […]

Alaska Native communities facing climate-induced relocation

By Lorraine Jessepe 21 June 2012 LINCOLN, Nebraska – Native peoples are no stranger to forced relocation. It is a bitter chapter in the history of North American tribal peoples. Now, the 21st century version of Native relocation has emerged in Alaska, this time, as a consequence of man-made climate change. Climate-induced relocation is cited […]

Siberia forest fires: ‘Burn scar was around 100 km across, just massive’

By Dr. Jon Ranson9 July 2012 […] The flight delays were caused by smoke from a large number of forest fires that are burning across central Russia.  Coming from St. Petersburg to Krasnoyarsk on July 6, we were high-flying witnesses to a smoky scene.  At 33,000 feet, our airspace was smoke-free. But a thick blanket […]

Smoke from Siberia fires raises ozone levels in British Columbia to record levels

11 July 2012, Canadian Press – Smoke lingering over much of British Columbia from Siberian wildfires has pushed ozone levels in parts of the province to never-before-seen numbers. By Monday, ozone levels reached 84 parts per billion in the central Interior region, about three times the average for July. B.C. Ministry of Environment air-quality meteorologist […]

England flood risk to rise fourfold by 2035, says government report

By Nina Chestney; Editing by David Cowell and Alison Birrane11 July 2012 LONDON (Reuters) – The risk of flooding for many English homes and businesses could increase fourfold by 2035 if more action to deal with the impact of climate change is not taken, government advisers said on Wednesday. As severe floods continue to batter […]

Has the dreaded China crash finally arrived?

10 July 2012 (The Week) – China’s leaders are warning that the country, a reliable engine for the global economy in recent years, is facing “huge downward pressure” This week, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao warned that the Chinese economy is facing “huge downward pressure,” the bluntest message to date from Beijing about the Asian […]

Texas drought and British heat of 2011 linked to climate change

By Deborah Zabarenko; Editing by Bill Trott10 July 2012 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Climate change increased the odds for the kind of extreme weather that prevailed in 2011, a year that saw severe drought in Texas, unusual heat in England and was one of the 15 warmest years on record, scientists reported on Tuesday. Overall, 2011 […]

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